Freeholder Board Commemorates Memorial Day on May 27

May 23, 2017

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The Camden County Freeholder Board holds a Memorial Day Ceremony each year to honor the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. This year’s observance will be held on May 27 at 10 a.m. at the Camden County Veterans Cemetery at Harleigh.

“This is a time for us to come together to honor the men and women of our armed forces for their service, and to remember the sacrifices they made for our great country,” said Freeholder Bill Moen, liaison to the Camden County Office of Veterans Affairs.

The Freeholder Board created the Camden County Veterans Cemetery in 2007 in response to a request from local veterans who asked for a dedicated burial place close to home. The Board made it a priority to develop a final resting place for our heroes who have valiantly served this country through a selfless commitment to our nation.

“The Freeholder Board chose Harleigh as the location for this hallowed ground for its beauty and its historic significance. The eight-acre park-like setting is situated on a bluff overlooking the scenic Cooper River, on the border of Camden and Collingswood,” Moen said. “We have invested our resources into making this plot of land significant for eternity.”

Established in 1885, Harleigh Cemetery is currently the final resting place of hundreds of veterans, including more than 300 who served in the Civil War. It is also the resting place of poet Walt Whitman, four United States Senators, and generations of Camden County families.

Those attending the ceremony should park at Riggs School located at 1656 Kaighn Avenue in Camden and use Harleigh’s Kaign Avenue Entrance (between the Airport Circle and Euclid Avenue). The observance will be held rain or shine.

The annual Memorial Day observance is just one of the many programs and services that the Freeholder Board’s Office of Veterans Affairs provides to residents that served in the military and their family members. Each year, they also organize our county’s Veterans Day service at Cooper River Park and the Veterans Prayer Breakfast held in March.